AFCON
AFCON 2021 FIGURE NEARING COMPLETION AS SUPER EAGLES, OTHERS MAY QUALIFY ON MATCH DAY 5
BY MUYIWA AKINTUNDE
By next Tuesday, 19 more slots will be filled to complete a field of 24 finalists for the Cameroon 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
The 33rd edition of the continent’s flagship football tournament will be held not this year, as earlier proposed, but in January and February 2022. The earlier date of June and July 2021 was disrupted by Coronavirus that virtually brought the world on its knees.
Apart from Cameroon (Group F), the host nation who are in the qualifiers just to keep in shape, four other nations have gone through with two matches to spare. Defending champions Algeria (Group H), last edition’s finalists Senegal (Group I), 2004 winners Tunisia (Group J) and 1972 runners-up Mali (Group A) have booked their places in Cameroon 2021.
For the Super Eagles of Nigeria and several other teams, qualification may be confirmed on Matchday 5, which runs from Wednesday, 24th March to Saturday, 27th March 2021.
When Gernot Rohr’s side file out in Porto-Novo, the port city that is the capital of the Republic of Benin, on Saturday, they would have known the result of the other Matchday 5 fixture in the group; that between Lesotho and Sierra Leone. If that match goes the same way as the first leg in Freetown which ended in a draw (1-1), Nigeria would have picked their 19th ticket to the finals in the 33 times that the continental competition would hold since the inaugural edition in 1957.
And should both hosts Benin Republic and Nigeria go on to share honours, the Squirrels would also be among the finalists, even as both sides would then have one more game to wrap up the qualifiers.
The Super Eagles are all set to put smiles on the faces of their compatriots who were so let down by the team on Matchday 3. Soaring at 4-0 by the 30th minute of the match against Sierra Leone in Benin City, the Eagles were brought down to earth 4-4 by the minnows, who even threatened to win. The reverse fixture four days later in Freetown ended goalless, to place Nigeria a point ahead of second placed Benin Republic in Group L.
The Super Eagles’ camp in Lagos is bubbling; all invited players in camp and rearing to go on the boat trip Porto-Novo. European clubs’ Covid-19 restrictions mean that some key players had to be replaced by Rohr. Among those missing were Samuel Kalu of Bordeaux, FC Nantes’ Moses Simon, both French top flight sides; Kenneth Omeruo of Leganés and Sadiq Umar of Almeria, both in Spain.
They were replaced by Henry Onyekuru (Galatasaray), Paul Onuachu (Genk) as well as home-based stars Adekunle Adeleke (Abia Warriors) and Enyimba striker Anayo Iwuala.
With four goals already, Napoli’s striker Victor Osimhen leads the scorers’ chat in the qualifiers and is among the stars in camp. In-form Kelechi Iheanacho returns after missing all national team fixtures since he scored the opening goal of the team’s 1-1 result in a friendly against Tunisia on 13th October last year.
Iheanacho has been in superb form for Leicester City. He produced a hat-trick in his last English Premier League outing against Sheffield United, and added a brace plus an assist to eliminate Manchester United from the FA Cup on Sunday. Eight goals in all competitions this month is a fantastic harvest for any player indeed!
Also listed are winger Samuel Chukwueze, Wilfred Ndidi, William Troost-Ekong, Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi and non-playing captain Ahmed Musa, among others.
Benin Republic made special flight arrangements for the bulk of their players in France, a major Covid-19 logistics requirement. And they are encouraged by their having not lost at home since 9th June 2013 when Algeria won a FIFA World Cup qualifier 1-3.
That match was at the same Stade Charles de Gaulle where Saturday’s game will hold. Will the Super Eagles re-enact the Algerian feat?
If they fail to qualify on Saturday, the Super Eagles will have another opportunity against Lesotho on Tuesday at Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos in the last match of the qualification rounds. At that time, Sierra Leone or Lesotho will remain in contention for any of the two group’s tickets if they won their previous match.
Wednesday will see six matches in five groups with four more teams likely to qualify for the finals.
In Group A, Chad Football Federation was suspended by CAF following government intervention, which means that their remaining two qualifying matches are awarded to their opponents – Mali and Namibia. Mali are through to Cameroon 2021, and if Guinea beat Mali, the Syli Nationale, who exited in the Round of 16 of Egypt 2019, will book their spot for the 13th time in the continental finals.
Burkina Faso, Nigeria’s victims in the 2013 final in South Africa, will be among Cameroon 2021 finalists if they triumph in Uganda on Wednesday afternoon. But the Ugandan Cranes will not let go since they are aware that victory will all but put them through.
While Burkina Faso and Uganda are separated by just a point, Malawi and bottom-placed South Sudan also have a point between them. Any of these teams that come out unscathed will have hope of making it on the last Matchday.
In Group C, Sudan are determined to make the section a three-horse race, which also include Ghana and South Africa. The east Africans are away to already eliminated São Tomé and Príncipe on Wednesday night, while South Africa host Ghana on Thursday.
The Black Stars and the Bafana Bafana are tied at the top with nine points each, while Sudan are three points short.
Cameroon are on the verge of winning Group F. But what matters here is the team that will qualify with the Indomitable Lions for the finals. With only two points from four matches and placing last on the log, Rwanda host Mozambique on Wednesday afternoon in a must-win game. If they succeed in their mission, Rwanda will move second behind Cameroon, in place of Mozambique, while awaiting Friday’s Cape Verde Islands v Cameroon encounter.
Mozambique and Cape Verde are at the moment on four points each.
Madagascar, one of the sensational teams of Egypt 2019, are battling to emerge from Group K. They are second to Côte d’Ivoire only on account of the Elephants’ head-to-head advantage.
But Madagascar stand the risk of losing ground as they play away to Ethiopia on Wednesday. Their hosts are just a single point behind, while the Ivorien Elephants will be away to Niger Republic on Friday. All the four teams here remain in contention.
Among the countries hoping to qualify on Thursday are the continent’s most successful side, the Pharaohs of Egypt. A point in Kenya will be just enough, which is all Comoros Islands require at home against Togo to break the jinx in their seventh attempt in the qualifiers.
Group D may produce at least one team among the finalists on Thursday. Here, Gambia and Gabon are on top of the log with seven points each, with DR Congo just one point short. Angola, the whipping side which have one point so far, will hand Gambia their first qualification if they lose in Banjul.
It’s the same situation with Gabon, who will have captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the squad for this match only. Arsenal will not allow their captain to play in Angola on Monday due to Covid-19 concerns in that country.
In Group H where Algeria have already emerged, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia in that order are jostling for the second ticket. Only victory over the African champions Algeria will keep Zambia in the race till the last Matchday, while Botswana will place second if they beat visiting Zimbabwe.
Like Algeria, Tunisia have no worries in Group J, leaving the other three teams to battle for one spot. Libya, back at home after the ban on international sporting activities on the troubled country was lifted, will have to beat Tunisia to stay on course. But that is if Equatorial Guinea fail to dismiss Tanzania, their guests.
On Friday, Morocco will join the Cameroon 2021 elites if they avoid defeat in Mauritania in Group E. It’s a game the hosts must win, otherwise the winners between hosts Burundi and Central African Republic will set up a nail-biting finale on Tuesday – the last Matchday.
Congo Republic have Senegal as stumbling blocks in Group I. Les Lions de la Téranga will be playing for pride after claiming one of the tickets here. Will they remove their foot from the pedals and concede their first match of the qualifiers?
Whichever team that triumphed between Eswatini and Guinea-Bissau will be in the reckoning on the last day of the qualifiers.
MATCHDAY 5 FIXTURES
Wednesday, 24th March 2021
- Group B: Uganda v Burkina Faso (first leg 0-0), South Sudan v Malawi (first leg Malawi 1-0) (both 2 pm)
- Group F: Rwanda v Mozambique (first leg Mozambique 2-0) (2 pm)
- Group K: Ethiopia v Madagascar (first leg Madagascar 1-0) (2 pm)
- Group A: Guinea v Mali (first leg 2-2) (5 pm), Chad Republic v Namibia (first leg Namibia 2-1) (Cancelled)
- Group C: São Tomé and Príncipe v Sudan (first leg Sudan 4-0) (8 pm)
Thursday, 25th March 2021
- Group G: Comoros Islands v Togo (first leg Comoros Islands 1-0) (2 pm), Kenya v Egypt (first leg 1-1) (5 pm)
- Group C: South Africa v Ghana (first leg Ghana 2-0) (5 pm)
- Group D: Gabon v DR Congo (first leg 0-0), The Gambia v Angola (first leg The Gambia 3-1) (both 5 pm)
- Group H: Botswana v Zimbabwe (first leg 0-0) (5 pm), Zambia v Algeria (first leg Algeria 5-0) (8 pm)
- Group J: Libya v Tunisia (first leg Tunisia 4-1), Equatorial Guinea v Tanzania (first leg Tanzania 2-1) (both 8 pm)
- Group I: Eswatini v Guinea-Bissau (first leg Guinea-Bissau 3-0) (2 pm), Congo Republic v Senegal (first leg Senegal 2-0) (5 pm)
Friday, 26th March 2021
- Group E: Burundi v Central African Republic (first leg Central African Republic 2-0) (2 pm), Mauritania v Morocco (first leg 0-0) (8 pm)
Saturday, 27th March 2021
- Group L: Benin Republic v Nigeria (first leg Nigeria 2-1) (5 pm), Lesotho v Sierra Leone (first leg 1-1) (2 pm) [13:39, 24/03/2021]
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria’s senior national team, the Super Eagles, will discover their route to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations when the Confederation of African Football (Confederation of African Football) conducts the qualifying draw on May 19, 2026.
This is an exercise that will define the country’s pathway to the historic PAMOJA 2027 tournament.
The draw, coming after the conclusion of the preliminary round, will feature 48 teams, including co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. They will be pooled into 12 groups of four teams each. Only the top two teams from each group will progress to the final tournament, setting up what promises to be a fiercely competitive qualification series.
For Nigeria, a three-time African champion and podium finisher in three of the last four editions, the qualification format is familiar, but the stakes are evolving. They will need a good head start to avert the type of tragedy that defined their World Cup 2026 qualification campaign.
The Super Eagles have maintained a strong record in AFCON qualifying campaigns in recent years, yet inconsistency at the tournament proper has raised expectations for not just qualification, but a deeper continental impact.
The six-match qualification series will be spread across three FIFA international windows:
- * September–October 2026 (Matchdays 1 & 2)
- * November 2026 (Matchdays 3 & 4)
- * March 2027 (Matchdays 5 & 6)
This staggered schedule will test squad depth, technical stability, and administrative efficiency, which are areas that have historically influenced Nigeria’s performance as much as on-field quality.
East Africa Return and Logistical Implications
The 2027 tournament will mark AFCON’s return to the East African region for the first time since the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations.
For Nigeria, this introduces a different competitive environment—altitude variations, travel logistics across three host nations, and potentially unfamiliar playing conditions.
The tri-nation hosting model also means that teams must prepare for a geographically dispersed tournament, requiring early planning in scouting, acclimatisation, and logistics—areas where Nigeria has previously faced challenges in major competitions.
CAF is banking on the momentum generated by recent tournaments such as the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, both of which recorded significant commercial growth, increased sponsorship value, and expanded global broadcast audiences.
For Nigeria, one of Africa’s most marketable football brands, this growth presents both opportunity and pressure. Strong performances by the Super Eagles not only boost national pride but also reinforce Nigeria’s commercial relevance in African football’s evolving ecosystem.
While the May 19 draw will simply allocate opponents on paper, its implications run deeper. A favourable group could ease Nigeria’s passage, but recent AFCON qualifiers have shown that traditional hierarchies are narrowing, with emerging teams increasingly competitive.
For the Super Eagles, the road to PAMOJA 2027 is not just about qualification—it is about reasserting continental dominance in an era where African football is becoming more competitive, more commercial, and more globally visible.
The journey begins with the draw, but for Nigeria, expectations will stretch far beyond simply making the trip to East Africa.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
By Kunle Solaja.
The Confederation of African Football (Confederation of African Football) has formally unveiled the competition window for the landmark Africa Cup of Nations, tagged PAMOJA 2027, setting the stage for what is shaping up to be one of the most politically and structurally significant tournaments in the competition’s history.
Scheduled to kick off on Saturday, 19 June 2027, with the final fixed for Saturday, 17 July 2027, the tournament marks only the second time the AFCON will be staged in the June–July window. The first was the expanded 24-team edition in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, a shift originally designed to align African football with the European off-season calendar and improve player availability.
A Return to June–July: Progress or Persistent Constraint?
While the timing suggests continuity with the 2019 precedent, it also underscores a deeper tension within African football governance. CAF’s confirmation that the dates required approval from the FIFA Council, following a meeting in Vancouver, raises renewed questions about the confederation’s operational autonomy.
Historically, AFCON scheduling has been vulnerable to external pressures, particularly from European clubs and leagues reluctant to release African players mid-season. The June–July calendar was initially seen as a strategic compromise. However, the necessity of FIFA ratification in 2027 signals that CAF’s flagship tournament still operates within a framework heavily influenced by global football politics.
This development may reignite debate about whether CAF is charting an independent course or increasingly aligning its decisions with FIFA’s broader international calendar priorities.
Beyond scheduling, AFCON 2027 represents a structural leap. For the first time, three nations—Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda—will jointly host the tournament.
This tri-nation model, branded “PAMOJA” (Swahili for togetherness), is more than symbolic. It reflects CAF’s attempt to decentralise hosting rights, reduce infrastructural pressure on single nations, and expand the tournament’s commercial and cultural footprint.
With a projected reach of over 400 million people across East Africa, the tournament offers significant opportunities:
- Market expansion: Opening new commercial corridors in a region historically underrepresented in hosting major football events.
- Infrastructure development: Accelerated investment in stadiums, transport, and tourism across three countries.
- Regional integration: Football as a tool for political and economic cooperation within East Africa.
Yet, the model is not without risks. Multi-country hosting introduces logistical complexities—border coordination, security harmonisation, and infrastructure parity—that CAF has not previously managed at this scale.
Waiting for Key Decisions
CAF has deferred the announcement of which cities or countries will host the opening match and final, decisions that will carry both symbolic and economic weight. These choices could influence regional balance and perceptions of equity among the co-hosts.
AFCON 2027 sits at the intersection of ambition and dependency. On one hand, it embodies innovation—a new hosting model and a reaffirmed global calendar alignment. On the other, it highlights lingering structural challenges, particularly CAF’s reliance on FIFA’s approval mechanisms.
As preparations unfold, the success of PAMOJA 2027 will likely be judged not just by the quality of football on display, but by how effectively CAF navigates these competing forces—continental aspiration versus global integration.
In many ways, AFCON 2027 will be a test of whether African football can expand its horizons without compromising its independence.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
By Kunle Solaja.
Defending champions Morocco will take the first formal step in their title defence when the Confederation of African Football (CAF) conducts the draw for the AFCON PAMOJA 2027 qualifiers on May 19, 2026, two days before the 122nd anniversary of the founding of FIFA.
Fresh from their triumph at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the Atlas Lions now face the challenge of sustaining continental dominance as they begin the journey toward the historic East African finals, to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
As reigning champions, Morocco enter the qualifiers with a target on their back. Their recent rise, bolstered by strong World Cup performances and a deep pool of Europe-based talents, has elevated expectations both at home and across the continent.
But history suggests that defending an AFCON title is rarely straightforward. The qualifying format, which includes 48 teams drawn into 12 groups of four, leaves little margin for complacency. Only the top two teams in each group will progress, meaning even established powers must navigate a potentially tricky six-match campaign.
The qualifiers will unfold across three FIFA international windows:
- * September–October 2026 (Matchdays 1 & 2)
- * November 2026 (Matchdays 3 & 4)
- * March 2027 (Matchdays 5 & 6)
For Morocco, maintaining squad cohesion across these windows will be crucial. With players spread across Europe’s top leagues, managing fatigue, travel, and club-country balance will test the technical crew’s planning and depth.
AFCON 2027 will mark the tournament’s return to East Africa for the first time since the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations. The unique three-country hosting model introduces new logistical variables—ranging from climate and altitude differences to travel across multiple venues.
For Morocco, whose recent success has been built on tactical discipline and structured preparation, early adaptation to these conditions could prove decisive in their title defence.
CAF’s recent tournaments—including the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and Morocco 2025—have recorded unprecedented commercial success, expanding the global reach of African football.
As defending champions, Morocco stand at the centre of this growth. Their performances will not only shape the competitive narrative of AFCON 2027 but also influence the tournament’s commercial appeal and global visibility.
While the May 19 draw will determine Morocco’s immediate opponents, the broader mission is clear: retain continental supremacy in an increasingly competitive African football landscape.
For the Atlas Lions, the road to PAMOJA 2027 is not merely about securing qualification—it is about proving that their recent triumph was not a peak, but the beginning of sustained dominance.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Madonna, BTS and Shakira to headline first World Cup final halftime show
Study warns of dangerous heat at 2026 World Cup as climate risks grow
Iran hold World Cup departure rally despite continuing concerns
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
NIGERIAN FOOTBALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SANUSI CHARGES NIGERIAN COACHES TO BE UPRIGHT, DILIGENT
- World Cup6 days ago
FIFA Plans Three Opening Ceremonies in All Host Nations for 2026 World Cup
- World Cup5 days ago
United States Unveils Hollywood-Style FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony
- World Cup5 days ago
Mexico president wavers on plan to cut school year by 40 days for the World Cup
- World Cup6 days ago
Burna Boy Joins Shakira for Official 2026 World Cup Song ‘Dai Dai’
- World Cup22 hours ago
US drops bond requirement for World Cup ticket holders
- Nigerian Football2 days ago
NPFL at 36: Why Nigeria’s League Top Scorers Rarely Become Super Eagles Legends
- World Cup22 hours ago
White House: No visa issues for Iraq’s World Cup team
- World Cup1 day ago
Magic Johnson Leads Campaign to Showcase Los Angeles Ahead of World Cup